# How Do I Ethically Sell a Crap Car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828 "2009-12-28T20:20:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/21 "2009-12-29T02:25:32Z")
Disclose, and you’re good. I’m one of those people who genuinely prefers an older ‘fixable’ car, as opposed to a newer ‘full of computer crap’ car, and would buy something like that in a heartbeat! I am positive I am not the only one. (And if it only lasts a year, well…awesome! For the price of one car payment, someone got a car for a year. Good deal!) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/22 "2009-12-29T02:31:10Z")
The car lot lady will buy it for 300, send it to the auction, pick up whatever buyers feel it’s worth, and nobody goes to a car auction expecting fully functioning vehicles. Or she’ll trade it with a bunch of other duds in exchange for a better vehicle a current looker wants. If you want 100 percent guilt-free, don’t EVER have to worry about it, sell it to the car lot. 300 bucks is 300 bucks! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/23 "2009-12-29T02:31:15Z")
Donate the car to charity. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/24 "2009-12-29T02:34:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Donate the car to charity. There ya go. Did that with the last 500 dollar van I realized I had no inclination to fix up. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/25 "2009-12-29T02:35:06Z")
**Cat Whisperer** , that was absolutely my concern. The prospect of selling someone something that could kill them if they aren’t warned is what made me worry about the ethics. I do want to make sure they take it seriously. Maybe I’ll mention the master cylinder to the buyer. Like I know what I’m talking about. In the past 4 months the car has stalled at 60 mph (on my way to my own wedding), the check engine light has come on 3 times, and I’ve needed a tow twice because it wouldn’t start. Each symptom has been treated, but I don’t expect it to last a month without something going wrong again. I hope the person who buys it is someone who wants to tinker with it. I’d rather not sell it to someone who thinks they’re buying transportation. I thought about the charity donation, but I’d really like even the $300. I’m sort of terrified of having a car loan. I don’t have any debt and it scares me. I’ll run the ad for 2 weeks, then sell it to the car lady if nothing comes of it. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/26 "2009-12-29T02:46:06Z")
I just remembered that the most recent tow truck driver gave me the card of a dude that fixes Volvos out of his home. I think I’ll call him and offer it to him for $500 before I list it. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/27 "2009-12-29T02:48:23Z")
Now that’s an even better idea! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/28 "2009-12-29T03:24:43Z")
There ya go - that sounds like a good solution. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/29 "2009-12-29T03:27:30Z")
Yay! Thanks everyone for the support and ideas! ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/30 "2009-12-30T06:09:00Z")
Sell it/donate it to Mythbusters? (Late to the party, I know) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828/31 "2009-12-30T14:18:43Z")
Don’t worry about it. If I bought a 1989 anything with light rust and obviously iffy electrics (ie., often-shorted indicator) I’d be awfully surprised if it started every morning. Disclose, and you’re good to go. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ethically-sell-a-crap-car/522828.md?page=1)